Facebook announces several new features to make Portal devices more useful

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Published on June 16, 2020

by Pradeep Viswav

published on June 16, 2020

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In December last year, Facebook announced a major update for Portal devices that came with new features like WhatsApp login support, Story Time feature and several other improvements. Today, Facebook announced another major update with several new features including Messenger Rooms support, support for backgrounds during video calls and more. Read about them in detail below.

Messenger Rooms on Portal: Starting today, you can easily hang out with friends and family on video group calls with Messenger Rooms on Portal — shareable video chat links for up to 50 people make it easier to get together with others remotely. Anyone invited to a call can drop by at their convenience whether or not they have a Facebook account.
New backgrounds on calls: You can now blur your background or replace your background with a pre-selected image using “Portal Spaces” while on a Portal Messenger or Messenger Room call.
Go Live from Portal to Facebook Pages and Groups: You can also go Live from Portal to Facebook Pages and Groups using your Portal Mini, Portal, or Portal+ . Previously, the Facebook Live app on Portal let you broadcast to your personal profile, and you can now go Live to the community on your Facebook Pages and Groups.
Photo ops, AR effects, and new Story Time stories: Share photos from your phone using the Portal mobile app with friends and family while on a Messenger call. We’re also introducing new AR effects to keep you entertained while you’re on a call, including AR Virtual Cards, which allow you to send unique and immersive cards to celebrate special occasions. Later this month, we’ll be bringing two new Story Time stories to Portal including The Okay Book by Todd Parr and How To Eat Pizza by Jon Burgerman with more titles coming this summer.
Additional “Hey Portal” functionality: “Hey Portal” already lets you start a hands-free video call or get a morning briefing. In the coming weeks, we’ll add new “Hey Portal” functionality, including “Hey Portal” commands in British English and the ability to start WhatsApp calls.

You can order the Facebook Portal video-calling devices from Amazon using the links below.